


Once Upon a Dream

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: Like Real People Do [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: ASL, Deaf Character, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Not Beta Read, Sober Klaus Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 11:22:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20435177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Dave knew his life would change dramatically when Klaus appeared out of nowhere. He just wasn't sure how much.





	Once Upon a Dream

**Author's Note:**

> have had wine, finished this, like it? i think. idk. i got one more story idea for this 'verse but if y'all have prompts feel free to give them. meanwhile here's a little bit of vietnam for y'all.

_Oh wow. He’s -- He’s pretty._

Dave had to be dreaming. He dreamed up an injured, gorgeous man beside his cot. Of course. Clearly. Obviously.

But then the sirens sounded and other people where yelling at the man from his dreams (oh so he was real) and the poor man was confused. He looked like he’d recently been in a fight, he was naked and showed up in the middle of the night. (Escaped POW?) 

The man looked around with wide eyes as the others got up and started moving. (He seemed lost.) Dave almost missed his soft, quiet voice, “What’s going on?”

Dave put a hand on the man’s back, “Gotta get ready, you got pants?”

The man stared at him with wide (green and stunning) eyes, “What? I’m sorry, I don’t-- I’m deaf.”

How did? A deaf man? Get into the army? (Maybe the man _did_ come from Dave’s dreams.)

He shouldn’t have made it past the medical exam? Did he lose his hearing here in Vietnam? Shouldn't he have been sent home then? Unless he lost it while a POW? 

“ASL?” Dave asked in sign language. If the stranger lost his hearing while in Vietnam then he probably didn’t know it so if he did then how did he make it all the way to Vietnam?

Dave knew ASL because his aunt was born not being able to speak so his whole family was fluent in it. They had lived a few blocks away from her house. He and his cousins would tell jokes in the classroom to each other using ASL and no one knowing what they were saying (better than passing notes). 

“Yes,” the man grinned at him, “ASL. You know it? _Fabulous._”

“Katz!” Collins yelled at him, “Get that man operational!”

“Yes sir!” Dave yelled back. He looked the man up and down. He was naked? In a bath towel? How did? A deaf man? A naked man? Get here? Injured? _In a bath towel?_

Dave grabbed a pair of his pants (and after another look, a belt) and handed them over. “Put them on.”

The man nodded and got dressed. “Listen, this is going to sound weird, but where are we?” He looked up from wrapping the belt around him to see the answer.

“A Shau Valley,” Dave spelled out.

“And where is that, darling? I didn’t exactly go to geography class, let alone ace it. Please tell me it’s in upper New York?”

_Darling, fabulous_ no one Dave knew spoke like that (so openly, so bravely). “Vietnam.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. He was clearly piercing something together. “Army?”

“173rd. Sky soldiers,” Dave confirmed. “Dave Katz.”

“Klaus Hargreeves,” Klaus looked around, preoccupied, they were the only ones in the tent now. 

“You just get to the country?” Dave asked, handing over some boots. He must have? But then if he had just gotten into the country wouldn’t he know it was Vietnam? Unless the army didn’t tell him? (How did a deaf man make it in the army?) But surely he knew the army would be sending him to ‘Nam? Klaus _had_ to know there was a war going on?

“Um, yeah,” Klaus sounded lost. Uncertain. Scared. 

“Shits crazy, I know,” Dave said with a small smile. He knew that he’d be looking out for Klaus from now on. For many reasons, but if someone asked he could claim that the only reason was ASL. Chances were, he was the only one who would be able to talk to him. (Klaus was also _very pretty_ and his voice was _very pretty_ and Dave figured his personality would also be _very pretty_.)

Klaus made it through the first fight.

Collins was yelling at him afterwards, wanting an explanation (he showed up out of nowhere in the middle of the night, who was he?) but Klaus couldn’t hear him. Dave grabbed his arm and gently led him over to Collins.

“Dave?” Klaus went willingly. He seemed like he was going to disassociate for a bit if left alone. Probably was his first fight (since escaping? escaping what? POW? Dave’s dreams?), which would set anyone off their game. 

Dave couldn’t answer him with his hands around Klaus’s arm. But Klaus seemed to know that. He looked around and took in who was looking at them (everyone). They stopped in front of Collins, Dave tilted his head to Collins’s tent.

They entered.

“Katz, what--”

“He’s deaf.” Dave said, signing at the same time so that Klaus could follow the conversation. 

Collins looked Klaus over, “You both know--” he made some gestures with his hands.

Klaus barked out a laugh as Dave said, “Yes.”

“Translate,” Collins ordered.

Dave glanced back at Klaus, bruises and cuts on his body that he didn’t get from the fight peeking out beneath the borrowed clothes. He seemed at ease though (was it fake? a front? could he really be that calm?) so Dave took that as a positive sign.

“Who are you? Name, rank, number.” 

Klaus smirked, “Four, four, and four.” He let out a choked laugh, “Sorry. _Jokes._ Klaus Hargreeves and no rank, no number. Sorry, my guy. Not really part of the army, just sort of -- _appeared_ at your camp right before that big ol’ fight. Hey, quick question of my own, what's the year?”

Collins looked ticked off. “And how exactly did you appear in our camp?”

Klaus sighed and itched his cheek with a shaking hand, “Listen, I’ve had a tough time recently. Just got done being tortured for info _I didn’t have_. I’m tired and I want to sleep. I’m usually a very good liar but with the head trauma and fucking nasua from traveling here I cannot -- I can’t stress this enough -- _I cannot_ think up any good lies to fool you. So, cards on the table. I’m a war correspondent who had been kidnapped by the VC. I managed to escape and stumbled upon some friendlies aka you all. Let me stay? I actually feel pretty safe with this unit.”

“War correspondent?” Collins questioned, “Why wouldn’t we sent you back to where you were stationed?”

“The place is too far away,” Klaus shrugged. “Also, got kidnapped from there, y’know? I can _correspond_ from here.”

“We can’t be looking out for a deaf civilian. You can stay for a bit, get your bearings, but it's too risky.”

Klaus rolled his eyes, “Ain’t no risk. I maybe didn’t have _army_ training but I can take care of myself.”

“He did handle himself well in the fight,” Dave pointed out.

Klaus gestured to Dave, “Too right. Listen, I’ve had more combat training than any of you and since getting sober my muscle memory has been spot on. Honestly, sir? Is it sir? Whoever you are -- whatever, you wouldn’t need to worry about me. Or whatever, if I die, I die. But I have a feeling I’m not going to die in _Viet-fucking-nam_. Good god, it’s not like this is the end of the world. _I would know_,” he let out a light laugh.

“I’ll think about it. Katz, you look after him in the meantime. He’s your responsibility,” Collins flicked his hand, dismissing them.

Dave ushed Klaus somewhere a little more private. 

He felt like he (even though he claimed he didn’t have it in him to lie to them) had just lied to them. Klaus didn’t seem like an enemy, he seemed like he’d been misplaced. _Lost._ (Did he come from Dave’s dreams?)

“Did you just lie?” Dave asked.

Klaus made a thoughtful noise, “I knew I was too out of shape to lie right. I’m usually a very good liar, Dave. _Very good._ Sister mine has gotten very good at seeing through the lies but y’know, we live together. Also, when she finds out where I am she’s going to be _real mad_,” he laughed nervously. “She’s real scary when she’s real mad. Very small, Vanya, but packs a punch.”

“Your sister doesn’t know you’re in Vietnam?” Dave couldn't believe his sister wouldn’t know.

“She’s real protective of me since I moved in with her,” Klaus nodded. 

Dave could see that. He’d just met Klaus and he was already protective of him. “So if you aren’t a war correspondent who escaped a VC camp then--?”

Klaus put a hand on Dave’s shoulder, “Let’s pretend you believed that okay? It sounds better than the truth. But I was telling the truth saying I feel safer here, with you all, then where I was _before_,” he paused thoughtfully. “Mind you, right before coming here the fam had come and saved me.”

“The fam?”

“Sorry. _Family._ My sisters and brothers. All of them showed up, I felt very special.”

“Saved you from what?” (He could only imagine how Klaus gotten beat up and found in the middle of an Army camp.)

Klaus narrowed his eyes (probably calculating if he could trust Dave), “I was kidnapped from our home after taking a bath and then tortured for information. I didn’t lie about being tortured for info I didn’t have.”

Dave swore. (His family must live in Vietnam? If so then shouldn’t they tell his ‘fam’ that he’s safe? Why were they living in Vietnam? If they don’t live here then how did he get here? Why would his kidnappers fly him here?) 

Klaus was looking around them, his eyes scanning the area around them, catching on the trees? shrubs? tents? He looked distraught at what he saw.

“Everything okay?” (It didn’t seem okay.)

“Just looking for my brother. He is usually my translator, y’know? But he got left back at-- where I was, I guess,” Klaus shrugged. Almost dismissive. How could he be so dismissive? His brother? At where Klaus had been tortured? Was he brother still alive? 

It was two days later, Klaus still with them and Collins giving them _looks_ when they were walking through the jungle. Dave hadn’t gotten much more of the truth from Klaus. He’d peppered some facts about himself in his easy ramblings (he’d been homeless, he’d been a drug addict for over a decade, he’d been sober for about half that and deaf for just as long, and _”God, Dave. I hadn’t realized how easy it would be to get drugs here. Whatever you do, please don’t let me take any. I will want some,” he looked around them at the jungle. “I will want some. Do not let me relapse.”_) and he’d learned that Klaus was kind, and strong, and vulnerable, and beautiful.

Really beautiful. 

(Like he came from Dave’s dreams.)

They were walking along, Klaus humming quietly, eyes scanning the jungle around them (like Dave should be but he has found it hard to stop looking at Klaus). The two of them near the end of the formation, Collins and Dave had decided that it would be best to keep Klaus near the back. Less likely to get harassed by the guys (would it matter? Klaus couldn’t hear them) and a sort of _out of sight, out of mind_ with the unit, not wanting them to worry about the civilian walking along with them.

Then Klaus froze for a split second, humming stopped, eyes over the empty field they were going to pass through. “Dave, we can’t go through there.” His voice sounded panicked. He’d never heard Klaus sound so scared before (and he was right beside him during his first fight). 

“What?” Dave asked. He hadn’t talked to Klaus much whenever on patrol or when moving, he had to be ready for Charlie to come out so you needed your hands ready for your gun. 

“_We can’t, it’s full of landmines_,” Klaus said before breaking formation and running up to Collins in the front. 

Dave swore and followed.

“Katz--” Collins yelled as Klaus ran in front of them and held up his hands calling for them to stop.

“Landmines, so many landmines, Collins.” Klaus pleaded, “You’ve got to believe me.”

“Tell your pet if he keeps this up--” Collins growled, stepping around him.

Klaus growled and then reached out and grabbed Collins, pulling him back, “Don’t _fucking_\-- Listen, there are landmines there.” His eyes frantically scanned the field and in a whisper said, “Some have went off already.”

Collins did not look amused. He forced Klaus’s hands off him, “I swear to god, Katz. Next time we’re near civilization we’re dropping him off.” Then he went to take a step forward.

Klaus kicked at him, making Collins fall before quickly reaching down and grabbing a rock. He took a second to pick where to throw it and then lobbed it into the field.

It blew up.

_It blew up._

Everyone was silent in the aftermath except for Klaus. He let out a small laugh, “Hot damn, didn’t realize my aim was so good. Take that Diego!”

“Katz,” Collins’s voice was soft, “ask him if he can show us a safe path.”

Klaus had shrugged, “I don’t know. Just stick to the edge I guess. Um, if I yell stop then like, y’know, _stop_. Back on lookout duty.” He let out a forced laugh.

They started moving again, Klaus and Dave dropping back to the end of the line. Dave watched as Klaus kept his eyes on the empty field. He was frowning, he didn’t seem to like whatever he saw. (How did? he know? the mines were there?)

“I’ve never been so happy to be deaf,” Klaus said, eyes locked on the field still. “And that’s saying something because I’ve been a happy little peach since I deafened myself.”

_What_

Did he just? suggest that he? deafened himself? 

“You deafened yourself?” Dave was worried. Why would anyone? Accidentally maybe? The phrasing made it seem like it was on purpose. 

“Mhm,” Klaus nodded. “Sure did. _Honestly_ the best decision I’ve ever made. Which isn’t saying much, I have made _a lot_ of bad choices.”

No wonder his family was so protective of him. God, Dave would have to do a good job at looking after Klaus until they could get him back. (His dream boy was precious cargo and he’d make sure he got there safe.)

“Why?” He said it was the best decision he ever made? Why would he think that? Why would his life be better without hearing?

“To stop the screaming.”

He’d said it casually, his eyes were haunted, he shrugged. It was as if he didn’t realize that his statement took the breath out of Dave’s lungs. As if he hadn’t upturned his world in four words. 

That night as Dave tried to sleep he couldn’t (_couldn’t_) stop thinking about what Klaus said. It was something that would always stick with him. Who was doing the screaming? (He said he was sober and deaf for the same amount of time. Did they go hand in hand? Was he? able to stay sober? because? he stopped the screaming?)

After the landmine incident, Collins stopped suggesting they leave Klaus off at the next friendly town they came across, the other guys gave them warm smiles. They still kept their distance, knowing that the newcomer is a deaf war correspondent, but they were obviously nicer towards him.

Dave wasn’t sure what a war correspondent did, but he did know that Klaus wasn’t doing it. (Collins probably knew too.)

(_Dave did have to grab Klaus’s hands every so often. They’d twitch, reaching out for the drugs that were shared at camp, easily given out, easily taken. He’d then distract him, listening to his anxious stories as he calmed down enough that Dave knew if he stopped touching Klaus that he wouldn’t fly towards the drugs._)

Klaus had shown that he was funny and kind and _smart_. He may space out and have trouble focusing, claiming the decade or so of heavy drug use, but he wasn’t _dumb_. No matter what Klaus said about himself (his self esteem was too low for how amazing he was, but it also sounded like he used to think even less about himself but since getting sober he’d come a long way; Dave thought he had farther yet to go).

Dave found himself reaching out for Klaus, to draw him closer, to see his smile, hear his laugh. He knew that Klaus was too good (too pure, come right from Dave’s dreams) to stay in Vietnam. He’d try and convince him to go home, what? was keeping him? here anyway? His family had to be missing him. They’d just saved him and then he ends up at their camp and trudges all over the jungles of ‘Nam. _They’d just saved him._

But oh.

_Oh_.

They got their first bit of R&R while Klaus was around. And it was magical (the night came from Dave’s dreams). Dancing at the bar (Klaus said he could feel the bass beating in his chest, he’d missed music, he’d missed dancing, he’d missed-- neither of them drank that night), meeting up behind a beaded curtain (Klaus whispering at Dave’s skin as Dave couldn’t reply properly, his hands so full of Klaus), the motel room later (the body heat, blankets caught around limbs, Klaus’s beautiful moans filling the air, sounded just for Dave, only for Dave to hear, Dave was greedy with Klaus’s moans).

“I think I dreamed you,” Dave whispered to Klaus that night, Klaus in his arms and chatting about the time Vanya made a fancy french cake to how Klaus told her too bake it but Klaus was blindfolded at the time so he couldn’t see if she did it right (“_And_ she couldn’t ask me questions. It just seemed like a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, we then invited Diego and Eudora over and didn’t tell them how the cake was made. Turns out it was made bad.”)

Afterwards it was sneaking around, make outs in the trees, Klaus’s head resting on Dave’s belly as Dave ran his hands through Klaus’s hair, never questioning or demanding the truth, but taking each bit as it came and collecting it. (He knew his favorite foods, colors, birds. He knew he liked to dig and trash and find treasures, he had sticky fingers, he loved three of his siblings very deeply. He’d been abused, locked away somewhere more than once, didn’t like the dark or small spaces, was trained in multiple fighting styles since he was a kid.) Dave gathered the bits of Klaus he was allowed to keep and touch and kept them close.

Later Dave had a close call. A graze on his arm. Nothing bad. He didn’t even have to stay long in the medic’s tent. But Klaus was furious. He hissed and spat at the world, cursed the war, said he was going to follow him into more fire fights because he wouldn’t let Dave die. (_He wasn’t allowed._ Which Dave was fine with.) Klaus got some playing cards and in pen written all over them, “My tarot deck is at home. These will make a poor substitute.” Every morning he would consult the cards. 

“Father tried his best to make me a proper witch boy. _’Here Number Four, tarot cards to hone your skills. Here Number Four, a ouija board to hone your skills. Here Number Four, a mausoleum to hone your skills._ He gave me crystals and herbs too. The incense came in handy when I started smoking pot. At first he was proud, thinking I was using it for his nefarious purposes.”

“Your skills?”

Klaus froze for a second. He gave Dave a calculating look he hadn’t given him in months. “I can see the dead,” he mumbled, going back to his home made tarot cards.

Then

Dave heard it reverberate in his mind

_”To stop the screaming.”_

He’d known about the landmines because he saw the ghosts. He had spotted other traps afterwards. He’d muttered to himself -- no, to ghosts.

Dave nodded, “Thank you for trusting me with knowing this. _With knowing you._”

Falling in love with Klaus was easy. (He’d come from Dave’s dreams after all.)

Falling from the bullet his chest was also easy.

Too easy.

He didn’t like it.

He didn’t like hearing Klaus scream at him, he didn’t like having to say goodbye. He didn’t like knowing that he hadn’t kept his promise to not get hurt (to die).

He didn’t mind when his world zeroed in on Klaus. All he saw was his beautiful boy from his dreams. (Why? was? he crying? Where? the guys? being dicks? to Klaus again? Or? was this another time? where Klaus’s self esteem? was getting to him?)

And then

_Oh_

_And then_

It was later. He knew that. (_He knew that._) He was in the future. The present. Time had passed. How much time? It didn’t matter because standing before him was Klaus.

Klaus was crying, looking happy, reaching forward slowly, as if not believing. “Dave?” His voice broke.

“Am I dreaming?” Dave asked, “I’ve been dreaming about you all my life.”

They hugged once more. Kissed once more. 

But not for the last time,

no,

never the last time.

If Dave was dreaming, he didn’t want to wake up.

**Author's Note:**

> find me at tumblr obliqueoptimism.tumblr.com


End file.
